


Hero Through the Ages

by AideStar



Series: Linked Universe Fics [12]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Amnesia, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dark Magic, Hurt/Comfort, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Major Character Injury, Minor Injuries, References to Depression, Spells & Enchantments, Wild (Linked Universe)-centric, guys this one is satisfying but also sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:07:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24775873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AideStar/pseuds/AideStar
Summary: “Do you know how old you are right now?” Twilight sighed, letting himself fully sit as the last Moblin fell behind them.“I’d say about seven… maybe eight years old? Physically, that is.” Wild eventually replied, clenching his small hands into fists.Twilight's eyes widened in surprise as he looked the kid over again. Wild was small, sure, but eight years old? He’d been fighting with perfect form just a few minutes ago, and the way he was responding to things, the way his hair was cropped short…“Wild, were you training as a knight at eight years old?” Twilight couldn’t help himself, the fear of knowing the answer not enough to stop his curiosity. Wild jumped slightly at the question, but instead of becoming sheepish, instead of appearing at all upset, he simply cocked his head in question.“Is that not normal?”---Wild gets hit with a spell and turns into a child, but he's not as wild as the heroes expected.
Relationships: Twilight & Wild (Linked Universe)
Series: Linked Universe Fics [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1758937
Comments: 53
Kudos: 915





	1. A Bad Situation

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all, I'm back!! Kicking things off with this Wild de-aging fic I wrote to get back into writing for LU after a week. My surgery went great and I can finally write and edit again yay! There are only a few chapters to this, after which I'll probably post the Four/Shadow angst... hehe. I hope you guys enjoy!! Leave a kudos or comment if you do, replying to everyone just now has made me so happy :D

It was an annoying battle, more than anything. Wild had been woken in the early morning hours by a shout from Warriors, who had been keeping watch, and within a minute the camp had been ambushed from all sides by enemies. There weren’t a ton, most not infected, but after they’d taken out a decent amount of Bokoblins and Moblins things took a turn.

Wild had already been waking up when Warriors had burst into camp, his alertness making it easy to spring to action and guard his more asleep friends. It wasn’t the best way to start the morning but Wild had no issues parrying blows, finishing off enemies, and moving onto the next. Sky was unfortunately not so well off, stumbling under a barely blocked blow from the Moblin cornering him. Wild was about to step in anyway, running his sword through the last enemy beside him, when he spotted the Wizzrobe through the trees taking aim.

“Sky, watch out!” Wild called, raspy voice barely reaching, but Sky was too distracted by his fight with the Moblin to react in time.

Wild didn’t think, which he was somewhat known for doing at this point. With everyone else locked in battle, he was the only one close enough and quick enough to get between Sky and the Wizzrobe. He just didn’t have enough time to block the spell the giggling creature cast before it hit him straight in the chest.

Icy magic pierced through his tunic and seeped into his skin, but the Wizzrobe above him wasn’t an ice one. It’s robes were dark and swirling, smile sharp and twisted as it quickly disappeared. Infected. Wild didn’t have much time to think about whatever had just happened as the magic rooted, only that he could still hear the clash of blades through his ringing ears and feel adrenaline coursing through him. He shook his head to clear it and gripped his sword, springing back into the fray with purpose even as strange magic thrummed under his skin.

Twilight hadn’t seen Wild in several minutes, too busy with a group of Bokoblins to keep an eye on his protege. Wild was a skilled fighter, he could handle himself, but the next time Twilight laid eyes on his cub it was clear something had happened. Wild wasn’t tall by any means, but it was clear he was much shorter than usual even as he blurred with quick sword strikes. His blue tunic hung on his smaller frame, his typically long hair now cropped short. His fighting was as fast and sure as ever, but his form was tight, face in a mask of stone determination. Most alarming of all was his lack of scars, the left side of his body as pale as his right, and Twilight felt his stomach twist anxiously as he realized Wild was now significantly younger than he’d been ten minutes ago.

It was an agonizing few minutes until Twilight managed to finish off the enemies he’d been cornered by, rushing around the outskirts of the fight to join his protege. Wild was still holding his own despite the significant difference in height, and the way he was acting made Twilight wonder if he’d even noticed. Before he could step in, Wild leapt back from an incoming slash from a Bokoblin, his eyes widening in fear as his small legs managed to put only a few feet between him and the sword. The tip of the blade slashed through Wild’s tunic, slicing a bit of his chest, and Twilight wasted not a second more before his blade plunged through the monster’s back with finality. Wild was breathing heavily, hand pressed against the wound firmly as he nodded in thanks to Twilight.

“Cub, we have to get you out of the fight.” Twilight pressed an insistent hand onto Wild’s shoulder, having to look much farther down to meet his sparkling blue eyes. Wild was hardly recognizable this young, no scars or lines crisscrossing over his skin as he peered up at Twilight in confusion.

“What do you mean, it’s a shallow cut, I can keep fighting.” Wild insisted, his voice clearer and higher than Twilight had ever heard it. Wild paused in surprise, his hand trailing towards his throat in confusion as his eyebrows furrowed. His eyes trailed down, taking in his baggy clothes, the absence of his long hair, and his surprise quickly turned to panic.

“Yeah, no, I’m not letting you continue to fight right now.” Twilight said, concern leaking into his own tone as Wild let himself be steered out of harm's way.

Twilight took them just out of range of the battle, urging Wild to sit beside a tree and looking him over. The fight was beginning to end anyway, Twilight could stay here a moment to make sure whatever had happened to his cub wasn’t too serious. Wild’s gaze was still down turned, eyes glazed over as he looked at the unmarred skin of his left arm. Twilight’s panic was rising too but he fought it down, placing a gentle hand on Wild’s shoulder. Surprisingly, Wild flinched under his grasp, but the automatic response was aborted as he tensed, eyes lighting up in surprise as he snapped his gaze up to meet Twilight’s.

“Ah, sorry.” Wild’s voice was strained, but he was quickly relaxing as he came back to his senses. “Did you say something?”

“No, but I was going to ask you what in Hylia’s name happened.” Twilight said, swallowing the guilt he felt at Wild’s reaction.

“Wizzrobe. It was infected.” Wild stated as if giving a report, his voice clipped. Then his expression turned sheepish. “Sorry, it was my fault, but if Sky got hit with it the Moblin he was fighting surely would have killed him…”

Twilight sighed, deciding to postpone his lecture on recklessness for another time. As it was, Wild was acting strange and had been cursed by an infected Wizzrobe, turned into a child, and he had no idea how long the effects would last.

“Do you know how old you are right now?” Twilight sighed, letting himself fully sit as the last Moblin fell behind them.

“I’d say about seven… maybe eight years old? Physically, that is.” Wild eventually replied, clenching his small hands into fists.

Twilight's eyes widened in surprise as he looked the kid over again. Wild was small, sure, but eight years old? He’d been fighting with perfect form just a few minutes ago, and the way he was responding to things, the way his hair was cropped short…

“Wild, were you training as a knight at eight years old?” Twilight couldn’t help himself, the fear of knowing the answer not enough to stop his curiosity. Wild jumped slightly at the question, but instead of becoming sheepish, instead of appearing at all upset, he simply cocked his head in question.

“Is that not normal?”

“I…” Twilight didn’t have an answer, and before he could wrap his spinning head around how to respond the others were making their way over.

“Did Wild get himself hurt again?” Legend griped, but nearly tripped when he finally got close enough to see the much younger hero.

Seizing his chance, Twilight waved Hyrule over. “Just a small cut. And a curse.”

“Of course Wild managed to get himself cursed. Great.” Legend continued to grouse as Hyrule left his side and crouched beside Wild, who moved his hand to cover the slit in his tunic.

“It’s not that bad, really. You can save your magic, ‘Rule.” Wild insisted, and Hyrule shared a bewildered look with Twilight.

When Wild had first joined the group he’d been closed off and quiet. Constantly putting himself in danger, taking hits, not letting anyone take care of him. It had taken months for Twilight to work through Wild’s defenses and for the other to finally open up to the group. After he’d gotten a fever from a nasty untreated gash there had been a strict no hiding injuries policy enforced by Time, and ever since Wild had been much better about using potions and letting Hyrule heal him if necessary. He hadn’t refused help in so long it was alarming to hear him do it now.

“Cub, let Hyrule take a look.” Twilight’s voice was firm, and Wild stiffened under it. With a mechanical nod he let his arm drop, looking away as Hyrule set to work.

“Wild’s right, it’s just a small cut.” Hyrule pulled a red potion of his belt and placed it in Wild’s small hands with a gentle smile. “Just have some of this and it’ll heal right up.”

Wild nodded again and slowly drank from the potion, stopping abruptly when the cut had sealed into an angry red line. He handed the potion back, eyes downcast, and Hyrule simply shrugged as he replaced the potion on his belt.

Wild felt weird. Really weird. He couldn’t place exactly why, but every point of contact made him flinch, every stern word sent his heart racing in panic. Seeing the others curious faces when Twilight guided him back to camp only solidified the wrong feeling. Even as jokes were made to try to lighten the mood, Wild felt a weight in his chest that wouldn’t allow him to join in. He forced a smile as he packed, forced a laugh as he was made to compare heights with Wind (“Wow, you’re almost as short as Four now!”), and clenched his fists around the strap of his sword as they decided to continue walking after breakfast. His face slid into a familiar, comforting neutral expression, his shoulders squared back as he counted his steps to fill the void in his head.

He didn’t remember anything firmly, just flashes, but his body knew better than his mind. He’d been a soldier in another life, he’d trained to pull the Master Sword—and he’d done that by this age, if he was remembering correctly. The sword that caused him so much pain and trouble had been a blessing and a curse back then too, even if he hadn’t realized it at the time. Being the chosen hero had its downsides when you were forced into knights training so young. Warriors kept shooting him looks, which was really starting to make him panic. Wild walked beside a tense Twilight and was struggling not to feel guilty or afraid as it was. He’d only been in a younger body for a couple hours and he was already impatient to get back to his older self. Wild didn’t want to remember why he flinched away from Twilight and he feared if he stayed like this much longer he would.

The situation only got more concerning as they set up camp for the night, Wild doing his best to act as if nothing was wrong and cooking like usual. Time was keeping a close eye on him and Wild could feel his skin prickling under the gaze nervously. Sky sat down beside him then, and Wild was somewhat thankful for the distraction.

“Thank you for protecting me earlier, Wild. I’m sorry this happened, it’s my fault for not being more alert.” Sky apologized, guilt written on his face.

“It’s not your fault,” Wild shook his head, a small and genuine small on his lips. “I wasn’t about to let you get hit when I could help. That’s what brothers are for.”

Sky smiled and nodded as Wild turned back to the cook pot.

“How are you holding up?” Sky asked quietly, and Wild shrugged.

“I feel fine, it’s just confusing. This body… it knows things I don’t. I can’t remember being this young, not really, so it’s strange.” Wild sighed, chin resting on his knees. He glanced over at Sky, feeling anxiety buzz within him as a question pushed at the back of his mind. “Hey, Sky… does the sword still recognize me?”

Sky froze at the unexpected question, eyes searching Wild’s carefully schooled expression. Wild felt his anxiety rise but he held his ground as the older hero tentatively reached back and unsheathed the Master Sword. He closed his eyes for a moment, and Wild tried hard not to notice the new eyes on them as he waited for Sky’s response. He knew what the answer should be, but when the other slowly opened his eyes and held the sword out for Wild, it was still conflicting to feel the familiar weight of it in his hands.

Not too heavy. Not burning. Perfectly at home, as if he’d just begun his adventure and still had many years left before the Calamity struck.

Wild felt a pit in his stomach as he handed the sword back, Sky’s concerned gaze not helping.

“How old were you when you pulled the sword?” Sky asked quietly, and Wild stared at his hands as they trembled slightly in his lap.

“Too young.”

\---

It was well after dark when Twilight rose from his spot beside the sleeping form of Wild to join Time on watch. They’d planned it hours ago, not wanting to talk in hushed tones around the now youngest of their group, but Time and Twilight remained in tense silence even as they sat together away from camp.

“He’s only eight years old, Time.” Twilight whispered. His heart ached with worry, but Time’s face was set in anger. “His adventure didn’t begin until he was seventeen…”

“He comes from a different era, but that doesn’t excuse it.” Time grit out, and Twilight winced. He knew how Time felt about the goddess and the sword, and with how this younger version of Wild acted, he was beginning to understand the resentment. “No child should be wielding that blade.”

“He looks like a kid, but he doesn’t act like one.” Twilight toed at the dirt with his boot, feeling helpless. “He told me he doesn’t remember, but--”

A soft cry cut Twilight off, and he already knew what he’d find when he spun around. Wild was sitting upright on his bedroll, clutching the covers to his chest as he stared into his lap. Twilight turned to Time, who waved him off with a nod, before returning to Wild’s side in the camp. The conversation would have to wait, and as Twilight quietly sat down beside his protege, he realized that may be for the best.

Wild was shaking slightly, but his eyes were glazed over as if he were still deep in a dream. A memory? Twilight knew better than to touch Wild when he wasn’t all there, but the tears leaking down his cheeks made his heart ache. Thankfully it wasn’t long before Wild blinked, the haze clearing from his vision as he woke up fully. Twilight waved a hand in Wild’s line of sight and the boy looked up, eyes frightened for a moment until recognition and guilt replaced the fear.

“Memory?” Twilight whispered, and Wild nodded slightly, his face pale. “Want to talk about it?”

‘ _I’m fine,_ ’ Wild signed jerkily, caught himself, looked to Twilight, then sagged. “I don’t know…” his voice was small, and Twilight barely resisted the urge to pull him into a hug.

“You don’t have to, if you don’t want to,” Twilight assured, but he felt helpless.

Wild lapsed into silence, his tense body slowly relaxing as he took calming breaths. Twilight hesitantly rested a hand on his cub’s back, and while he tensed slightly in response, Wild soon scooted closer and leaned into Twilight’s warmth. Wrapping his arms around Wild, Twilight felt a bit of relief after the way his protege had been acting through the day, even if the boy was shaking slightly against his chest. The silence was tense, but Twilight was nothing if not patient. Wild finally spoke after his shaking subsided, his voice slightly hoarse from tears.

“I remembered my family…” Wild’s voice trembled at the weight of his words. “I had a mother and father… and a little sister.”

Twilight worked to keep his hold gentle and breathing even as the words struck him like a knife. He continued to rub Wild’s back, watching the top of his head as his face turned away from view.

“I didn’t get to see them much when my training started. And when I drew the sword I never went home again.” Wild’s voice was getting quieter by the minute, and Twilight wondered if he’d have to pull away so he could sign, or if the story would end there. But Wild took a shuddering breath and continued on despite the waver. “My father was very strict, and the knights were worse. Now I know why I lost my voice for so long. It was better not to say anything at all…”

Twilight tugged Wild harder against his chest, and the boy wrapped small arms around him in return. Wild shook with silent sobs until he eventually fell asleep again, Twilight running his fingers through his soft short hair. Time made his way back into camp to switch watch and met eyes with Twilight before he woke the next shift. Twilight carefully untangled Wild’s grasp from his tunic and laid him down on his bedroll, trying not to think about how light the child was. Wild was unusually light normally, but losing a foot of his height had cut his weight in half somehow, and Twilight didn’t feel like going down that road of thought. Time had woken a bleary Hyrule, who had since stumbled from camp to take up his watch post, leaving him alone with Twilight once more.

“How is he?” Time asked, and Twilight shook his head grimly as he pulled the cover over his cub.

“It’s worse than we thought,” Twilight replied, feeling anger of his own burning as Time’s expression darkened. “I just hope this spell fades soon.”


	2. It Gets Worse Before it Gets Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A part of Wild believed this person, this body was the true hero of his time. Before there were wilds to be named after, he still wielded the sword, he fought bravely. He hadn’t failed yet. This was the person he was supposed to be, the one he thought had died a century ago, and to be back in this body was unnerving because of it. The others all seemed fine with how he was now, and maybe he was a better asset to the team this way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter! This was meant to be a oneshot that just got too long, so I split it up a bit. This chapter is still LONG though, omg. Thank you guys for all the comments and kudos yesterday though!! I'm so glad people enjoy the concept, I've wanted to write a fic like this for a while now so it's great to hear that others feel the same. Let me know what you think of this chapter in the comments or leave a kudos if you enjoy!! <3

The next morning Wild was just as young and half the group had taken to watching him from afar. Wild had stuck beside Twilight again, but this time his expression wasn’t just blank, there was a firm frown on his lips and he’d become increasingly quiet. At breakfast he’d replied to the others with one word answers or shakes of his head, and didn’t attempt to join any conversations as the group walked through the day. Sky, Time, and Hyrule were exchanging concerned looks with Twilight as Wild kept his head down, and by the time dinner rolled around the whole group had started to take notice of the changes. Even Legend was worried, though he was hiding it behind his usual snark as he tried to provoke Warriors into a pointless argument. It was getting to be too tense, but no one was going to bring it up as Wild served dinner and continued to stare silently into the fire.

Hours later, after most of the camp had turned in for bed and Wild had drifted off, the group that met up was much larger than the night before. Time, Sky, Legend, and Hyrule sat in a loose circle a ways from camp, waiting until Twilight made his way over after making sure Wild was asleep. Twilight worried this was a somewhat pointless meeting, even as he sat beside his mentor and joined the grim silence. He feared there was nothing to be done, and it ate at Twilight how helpless he was.

“The kid’s depressed,” Legend broke the silence with the blunt remark, but even as the others flinched no one argued the point. “What the hell are we going to do?”

“Legend, have you seen a spell like this before? Read about something like this even?” Sky asked softly, slumping when Legend’s mask of irritation caved into defeat.

“If this were a typical de-aging spell he’d be back to normal by now.” Legend huffed, running a hand through his bangs. “I have a feeling that spell was meant to do something far worse, but since Wild is over a hundred years old it didn’t fully work…”

Hyrule stiffened at his side. “I know which spell you mean,” he said with a hint of fear in his voice. “If that’s the one, we need to find a way to break it instead of waiting for it to run out, don’t we?”

“What spell?” Time cut in, worry leaking into his tone as Hyrule and Legend exchanged a grim look.

“It’s meant to reverse the person’s _existence_ altogether.” Legend explained, and Sky paled considerably. “It’s not meant to be temporary, but it’s also meant to be irreversible since there wouldn’t normally be anything left behind to counter-cast on…”

“Alright, well how do you reverse dark magic?” Sky asked, a hint of desperation leaking into his voice. “Wild isn’t doing well, we need to do _something_ , at least!”

Twilight’s nails bit into his palms as he felt a familiar fear course through him. He did not like magic, and he _hated_ dark magic. The fact that he might be the only one here with any experience with the stuff set his teeth on edge, because as much as Twilight knew about it, he had no idea how to go about helping Wild. Time glanced at him from the corner of his eye but didn’t say anything, and Twilight offered a slight shake of his head in response.

“I may be able to help…” Hyrule offered hesitantly, and while he didn’t sound sure Twilight immediately latched onto hope. “I’ve reversed spells before, and even if the Wizzrobe was infected, it was just a Wizzrobe… I think it’s worth a shot.”

“How does it work?” Time asked as Hyrule checked his potion supply.

“Well, since he’s already held the Master Sword and had a red potion with no effect, the spell is resistant to simple cures and light magic. I can try to counter-cast and unravel the magic from where it’s taken root, though. It might be easier with Wild asleep too…” Hyrule trailed off somewhat guiltily. “I don’t want to betray his trust, but his defenses are stronger when he’s awake and that could make it harder.”

The small group turned to Twilight then, their eyes pleading, asking for permission. It felt wrong to try something like this without Wild’s knowledge, but at the same time he knew Hyrule was right. Wild wasn’t doing well, and with how silent and distant he’d grown in just a couple days he wasn’t sure the kid would agree to try this in the first place. And he didn’t want to scare him by letting him know it could be permanent…

“Alright, but you’ll need to be careful. He’s a very light sleeper.” Twilight sighed, muscles tensed with unease.

“I’ll try to be quick,” Hyrule nodded, and with that the group dispersed.

Legend remained in place for first watch while Time and Sky returned to their bedrolls. Twilight carefully picked his way back to his spot next to Wild, making sure not to wake the boy as he sat down. Wild was lying on his back, young face peaceful in his sleep, and after Twilight was sure he wasn’t about to wake up he waved Hyrule over. The magic user quietly kneeled over Wild, clenching and unclenching his fists in familiar motions as he readied his magic. Hyrule shot a look at Twilight for permission, and the older nodded, heart racing with anxiety as Hyrule’s hands glowed a faint gold over Wild’s chest.

Hyrule bit his lip in concentration, the glow becoming brighter. After a moment he let out a breath and began to mumble incoherently under his breath, quick and practiced casting in what sounded like a completely foreign language to Twilight’s ears. It made his hair stand on end but he swallowed back his nerves to focus on Wild, who was still fast asleep. Hyrule paused for a moment, eyes squeezing shut, and Twilight wondered if he was alright before he noticed the change beginning in Wild. The boy’s hair was becoming steadily longer, face losing its childlike curve, his small frame growing closer to his normal height. In a few minutes Wild had grown from the young child he had been into a teen, his hair falling to his shoulders but body still unmarked by burns. Wild’s eyebrows furrowed in his sleep and Hyrule’s eyes snapped open before he yanked his hands back, glow dissipating as they shook.

“I got most of it undone, but there’s still a bit left holding on.” Hyrule whispered as he took in Wild’s new appearance.

“Go rest, ‘Rule.” Twilight insisted, recognizing the signs of his cub about to wake up. Hyrule nodded, carefully getting to his feet and making his way across camp to his bedroll. The way he flopped down and promptly fell asleep wasn’t a great sign--Twilight would have Legend talk to him about not overexerting himself--but for now he arranged himself into a less suspicious position and waited for Wild to wake himself up.

Blue eyes blinked awake under the night sky and Wild stared up at the canopy of trees above with a wistful look on his face. He turned to Twilight a moment later with a small smile, still somewhat strained, and nodded in greeting.

“How’re you feeling, cub?” Twilight whispered, and Wild sat up with a shrug. His eyes widened slightly as he noticed the change in his appearance, expression turning sad when he reached towards his left cheek and felt the smooth skin.

‘ _I’m older now…_ ’ Wild signed, pulling his worn cream tunic away from his body, which now fit it perfectly.

“Is that… not a good thing?” Twilight asked tentatively, and Wild shook his head quickly.

‘ _No, it’s good. Just strange being sixteen again._ ’ Wild replied, and Twilight watched in concern as Wild ran his hand through his longer hair with a frown. ‘ _Better than being eight, for sure._ ’

“You’re sure you’re alright?” Twilight asked, and Wild shot him another strained but much more genuine smile.

‘ _I feel fine, Twi. I remember being sixteen, so there’s nothing to worry about._ ’ Wild insisted, and Twilight could only nod in response despite not truly believing him.

If Wild said he was fine Twilight would just have to accept that. The two sat in silence for another few minutes before Wild announced he was tired and going back to bed. Twilight decided he should get some sleep too at that point, and the two heroes turned away from each other to sleep.

Wild laid awake though, mind swirling with memories that felt too fresh, and guilt that was stronger than it had been since he’d awoken in the shrine. Being eight had sucked for a multitude of reasons, but the pit in his chest and sadness he’d felt as a child was now replaced by cool numbness, the sharp tug of a failed duty, and the guilt of that failure. He hadn’t spoken at all for years of his life, sixteen being one of them, and it had taken nearly his entire adventure to regain his voice. The same choking weight of guilt and fear sat at the base of his throat, silencing him whether he wanted to speak or not. Hearing his high and clear voice a few days ago had been haunting, but it was stifling to know he couldn’t speak at all now--and that he had no idea what he’d sound like if he did.

Memories of his Zelda, the other Champions, his life before and during the Calamity all swirled close to the surface, replaying when he closed his eyes. His friend’s voices clear as day, their faces sharp in his mind. It made his gut twist to remember them as vibrant as the pictures he had of them and not the watery, faded remains he typically had. His memories were painful enough when dulled by time, but now tears leaked from his eyes as he curled in on himself, the images flooding his head. It hurt to remember, but he didn’t want to stop. Mipha was so clear, he could remember exactly how her laugh sounded, he could almost feel her touch on his arm. Wild fell into a fitful sleep, dreams a rehash of the last peaceful moments of his life before Ganon struck.

\---

Wild was fidgeting. He knew he was fidgeting, and others were shooting him looks, but he couldn’t stop twisting his fingers together in his lap as the group ate breakfast. He hadn’t been paying attention yesterday, too wrapped up in his own thoughts, but it was clear he’d been worrying his friends with his behavior. It wasn’t like he was anxious, no, he just had _energy_ and it was demanding to get out. Being the Princess’s personal knight meant that he was active, from dawn to dusk, and even then he’d have excess energy to burn. He knew what his body wanted, but he didn’t want to give in, knowing how odd it would seem to the others. Wild didn’t ask to spar, ever. His form was a mix of muscle memory from his days in the guard and improv he’d developed on his adventure--crazy movements and tactics that used bombs and fire more than swords. In fact, he typically preferred a bow to a sword nowadays. This body wasn’t the same though. It wanted him to do his morning training, practice his form, go on a _run, dear Hylia_.

“Wild, you okay?” Twilight asked quietly, and Wild wished he could scream with how frustrated he felt.

It would only be a half hour more, at least, before the group packed up and set off for the day. Then Wild would get the activity he wanted, although he knew it wouldn’t be enough to drain his energy. Maybe he could sneak off at the end of the day and do his drills away from camp? He knew it wasn’t likely, with how carefully Twilight and Time had been watching him. As he scanned the rest of the group he found his eyes snapping to Warriors, who was cleaning his sword and nodding along as Wind animatedly recounted one of his tales. If anyone understood, it was Wars. While some of the others had been part of the Royal Guard or knights, none were as serious about it as Warriors, and as such he was the main one to initiate sparring and practice sessions. If anyone understood, it would be him, and Wild found himself walking towards the Captain before he could think better of it.

“‘Morning, Wild.” Warriors put on his charming smile, and Wild realized the two of them were probably the most awake out of the camp. Wild had woken up before dawn, when he would normally have had to as a knight, and Wars had unsurprisingly been awake shortly after.

‘ _Can we spar?_ ’ Wild asked with quick, formal gestures. Sign that he used with superiors back when he was in training, and Warriors’ eyes widened in recognition and surprise as he took in Wild’s request.

Warriors shot a look at Twilight, who shrugged in confusion, before getting to his feet with his perfectly trained posture. “Absolutely. Let’s go.”

Wild should’ve known this was a bad idea, but the thrumming in his arms that demanded he use his sword was stronger than his embarrassment. Wars led them away from camp, but a majority of the others followed behind in curiosity, giving them no privacy as they surrounded the clearing Warriors picked. Wild tapped at his slate, selecting the closest blade he had to the Master Sword--a Royal Guard’s sword he’d scavenged from the armory the last time he’d been in his Hyrule. He pulled out the Royal Guard’s shield as well, and tried to ignore the raised eyebrows Warriors shot him in response.

“I didn’t realize you were in the guard,” Warriors quipped with a smile as he readied his own shield and sword.

‘ _It was a long time ago,_ ’ Wild signed awkwardly around his shield, and Warriors nodded.

“Well, let’s see what you’ve got, soldier.” Warriors announced, falling into sparring stance as Wild felt his body fall into a similar position.

Warriors leapt forward first, his confidence showing clearly as his blade arced quickly towards Wild. The clash of the parry was hard, shaking the bones in his right arm, but Wild’s heart raced as his body was given what it had been begging for. The movements were effortless, lacking the disorganization he typically had after the few minutes of fighting the Captain. Wild kept to his carefully trained and ingrained steps, just as Warriors did, the sparring match turning into the calculated dance it often did between two practiced guardsmen. Each of the heroes had their own style of fighting, some more trained than others, but in this body Wild was nothing like his nickname. Calm, collected, predicting Warriors’ every move as the Captain did the same in turn. It was exhilarating fighting like this again after so long, and feeling so in tune with his opponent and blade. He hadn’t felt his sword as an extension of his own arm in so long, this body remembering clearly the kinship he’d once had with the Master Sword.

After a good while, Warriors stepped back with a chuckle, ending the match with a bow of his head. Wild instantly fell into the same position, sheathing his sword and lowering his shield with head bowed. He blushed slightly when he straightened up, realizing he was treating Warriors like a superior once again when technically he was the highest ranked member in his Hyrule and Wars was a Captain. Although he supposed no one had to know that, he had never really enjoyed being the most senior knight, especially when wielding the Master Sword and being only sixteen put him on most of his knight’s bad sides. The small crowd erupted into cheers as the match ended, only making Wild blush more. The buzzing under his skin had subsided, leaving his muscles loose and mind clear of distraction as he found himself at the center of attention.

“You have impeccable form,” Warriors clapped him on the back and Wild smiled sheepishly under the appraising gaze. “We should spar more, it’s been a while since someone was a match for me.”

“Oh, really? Because I seem to recall kicking your ass the last time we sparred.” Legend stuck out his tongue, thankfully distracting the Captain enough for Wild to slip away from further questioning.

“That was quite the show,” Twilight greeted as Wild slid back to his side. “I didn’t know you could fight like that.”

‘ _I can’t, normally._ ’ Wild insisted in embarrassment. ‘ _I remember things a lot clearer right now is all._ ’

Four approached them with a curious glint in his eye, catching Wild’s attention with a wave. “Wild, can I take a look at your sword and shield?”

Wild nodded in surprise and pulled the them from his slate once more, handing the sword over to the smithy first. Four inspected the metal carefully before handing it back and looking over the shield. He hummed and returned it with a nod of approval.

“They’re in perfect condition. Normally you’d have broken at least one weapon in a match that long, but there’s not a scratch on them.” Four narrowed his eyes at Wild. “So you know how to take care of your weapons after all.”

‘ _Four, I have no idea why my weapons break._ ’ Wild insisted quickly but Four simply gave him an unimpressed stare. ‘ _My form can’t be that bad normally, can it?_ ’

“I’m not sure, but I’m not done investigating yet.” Four shrugged, and Wild could tell he was slightly more intrigued than upset by Wild’s unusual habit of breaking his weapons.

After that the day flew by quickly. Wild felt much better in this body, even if he was stuck in his head with all the strangely vibrant memories for much of the trek. The others knew sign, at least partially, since a good deal of them had used it themselves in the past and the ones who hadn’t had picked up some on the journey. It made it much easier for Wild to communicate, and he found himself joining into a few conversations with occasional comments here and there. It was still hard to say much, but it was enough to ease the other’s worries about him. By the time he was cooking dinner that night even Time had stopped watching as closely, Twilight feeling alright leaving Wild’s side for a bit to talk with his mentor while Wild conversed with Warriors.

“So how long were you in the guard for?” Warriors asked curiously over dinner, Wind and Sky gathered by them with their own interest.

‘ _I started training when I showed skill with a sword at three years old. I officially joined around age six._ ’ Wild signed slowly so Wind could understand what was being said. ‘ _I was a knight by ten, moved up the ranks for a few years, and was appointed the Princess’s personal knight at sixteen._ ’

“Wait a minute, a personal knight of the royal family? That would make you--” Warriors began and Wild quickly waved his hands in denial.

‘ _Please, rank doesn’t matter to me._ ’ Wild insisted, to which Warriors’ eyes widened in shock. ‘ _I’m not a knight anymore. Zelda offered me the highest position after I defeated the Calamity but I much prefer helping in other ways. Training the guard was the end of my duties as a knight._ ’

“You trained the entire Royal Guard...” Warriors said, dumbfounded, and Sky quickly cut in.

“What was your knight training like? I’m interested to know how much things have changed between our times.” Sky asked innocently, and Wild tried to hide his discomfort.

‘ _It was very difficult. I was the youngest trainee by ten years and the knights worked me harder than any of my peers. After I pulled the Master Sword things only got harder. I trained day and night for weeks on end sometimes, they would only let me sleep for a few hours every few days. I wasn’t allowed to leave the Castle grounds and didn’t see my family after pulling the sword._ ’ Wild stopped abruptly as he noticed Sky’s paling face and Warriors look of horror. ‘ _Uh, is that not how it was for you guys?_ ’

“Training for me was waking up early and going to sleep late, but it was a mix of academics and sword fighting. I did live at the Knight’s Academy, but I could leave if I wanted to…” Sky replied slowly, and Warriors nodded.

“I trained from a young age too, but I was a teenager when I started, and training was never that rigorous. I didn’t even finish training before I joined the war.” Warriors sighed, his horror replaced with guilt.

“I was never a knight or anything, but I was nine when I got the Master Sword.” Wind chimed in, his eyebrows furrowed. “You must be the youngest to have had it.”

Wild nodded slowly as the realization sunk in. He knew he’d been too young for the sword when he’d gotten it, but had he really been the youngest of all of them? His adventure hadn’t even started until he was seventeen, and that was what he had left it at originally when asked. Wild had begun to regret sharing more with the looks his friends were now giving him. The conversation fizzled out after that, Twilight eventually finding his way back to Wild’s side as he sat in silence, memories good and bad spinning in his mind.

“You doing alright, cub?” Twilight nudged his shoulder, but Wild simply shrugged.

‘ _My memories are more… real right now. It’s odd._ ’ Wild signed vaguely and Twilight watched him with worried eyes.

“I’m sure the spell will wear off soon.” Twilight replied, and Wild didn’t notice the guilty tone of his voice.

Wild didn’t know how he felt about that. He was more than happy to be older again, and while this body still wasn’t what he was used to, it wasn’t all bad. The memories were intense but they weren’t wholly unpleasant. The knights training kicking back in was annoying but not unwelcome. A part of Wild believed this person, this body was the true hero of his time. Before there were wilds to be named after, he still wielded the sword, he fought bravely. He hadn’t failed yet. This was the person he was supposed to be, the one he thought had died a century ago, and to be back in this body was unnerving because of it. The others all seemed fine with how he was now, and maybe he was a better asset to the team this way. He was a smarter fighter, he wasn’t carrying the weight of past injuries, and signing wasn’t too much of a problem.

Unless they were in battle and he had to call out, that is…

Wild didn’t know how he felt. When he turned in for the night, staring up at the night sky and taking up as little space as he could--like a soldier slept, like Warriors did--he couldn’t quiet his thoughts. He fell into a troubled sleep again, sure he would wake from a nightmare soon after.

\---

The night was pitch black, not a star in sight as the sky filled with smoke. All around him the field was burning, Guardian husks toppled and nearly trapping them in, Zelda pleading at his back. He could barely hear through the ringing in his ears, the left side of his body felt like it was on fire and he was struggling to stand through the pain. He had to, he couldn’t fail, there was no other choice but to keep fighting.

The pain was eating at his consciousness though, his vision dissolving into black dots as he struggled to hold up his sword. His right arm shook with the effort, but when he tried to move his left arm it burst into white hot agony and didn’t budge. Through clouded vision he glanced down to see his armor, tunic, his skin down to the bone charred away. He couldn’t hear out of his left ear, his left eye was squeezed shut against the pain of moving his face, his left leg struggled to hold his weight. The next Guardian found them, scuttling over and honing in on him as he did the only thing he could do; act as a shield. He couldn’t move, arms and legs locked in position, eye fixed on his imminent death as Zelda’s cries failed to reach him. With another burst of agony Wild’s vision turned black. His breath halted in his chest, his heart skipped a beat, his limbs felt like lead. He didn’t remember it being this bad.

Wild’s eyes snapped open, but he still couldn’t breathe. He tried to move but his left side lit up in agony and he grit his teeth against the scream that threatened to rip from him. He was running out of oxygen and through hazy vision he could make out the form of Hyrule crouched over him, hands pressing down on his chest and glowing with magic that stung as it reached into him. Twilight’s hands were on his shoulders and he was speaking frantically, but Wild’s blood rushed in his ears too loud to hear. What was going on? Both of his friends had tears in their eyes, he felt his consciousness dulling as his mind tried to piece things together. Was he dying?

Just as Wild’s eyes slipped closed the ache in his lungs burst, and he sucked in a frantic breath as they sputtered back to life. His heartbeat was wild but steady, no longer out of sync, and Wild felt the pain return with vigor as his consciousness snapped back.

“How much longer?” Twilight’s voice was panicked and muffled to Wild’s ears.

“Not long, the last of the spell is coming undone now.” Hyrule’s voice wavered, and Wild managed to crack his eyes open again to watch.

“Wild, you there cub?” Twilight squeezed Wild’s right shoulder and he managed to shift his head enough to see the other above him.

“Whas goin’ on?” Wild’s voice cracked and slurred together, his throat felt like it was on fire, vocal cords a mess of pain.

“We were trying to break the spell put on you, but we reversed to your injury and it isn’t going as planned.” Hyrule replied, and Wild couldn’t force his spinning head to turn again. “I’ve almost got the last of it though, just a few more minutes…”

With each second the pain was lessening, steadily turning from agony to a dull ache. His left side was hypersensitive, each nerve shivering as it reconnected and healed into the scar he was used to. Soon that faded too, leaving behind the half-numb sensation he had grown used to, and Hyrule’s magic sputtered and disappeared over his chest as Wild returned to the age he was originally. Wild shut his eyes tight, checking his condition, but he felt normal. The memories from before were the same muddled mess he knew, the knight’s training nothing but muscle memory, the fear and guilt just a dull ache he could ignore. He felt lighter, he felt alive, but as he opened his eyes again he also felt hurt.

“I’m sorry, Wild.” Twilight said first, and the guilt in his eyes was clear. “We should have asked you for permission before trying that, I--”

“You two did this last night too, right?” Wild sighed, lifting himself up and flexing his newly scarred left arm. He felt a bit shaky, the memory of the pain was still fresh in his mind.

“Yes, we did…” Twilight admitted, and Hyrule nodded, sipping on a green potion and looking pale. Wild felt his own guilt at that, and realized his friends were only trying to help. He’d been miserable at first, and it was a relief to be back in his own body again, even if they had betrayed his trust.

“Thank you,” Wild said softly, an easy smile gracing his lips. “I would have preferred being asked first, but I’m happy to be a hundred and eighteen again.”

Hyrule chuckled, and Twilight’s guilty expression softened as Wild turned to him.

“We’re happy to have you back, cub.”


End file.
